Sailing: Past meets Present

Hello readers! This is Lilli here to report on the Harvey Gamage and her amazing crew. We are currently docked in Mystic, Connecticut. It has been a busy, hard week to get here. We have been through a lot, from rough seas and seasickness to ordering pizza in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Now that we are in Mystic, our experience continues.

We reached the Mystic River on September 22nd, but could not dock until there was space for us. We anchored for the night and spent a day doing homework, having class, taking deck showers, and just enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Some of us spent time learning the lines of the ship and knots needed to be cleared to go out on the netting at the bow of the boat, known as the headrig.

Once there was space for all 33 of us and Harvey Gamage, we docked at Mystic Seaport. The first steps on land after a week at sea were strange. I caught myself rocking because the land is not.  Mystic is a historic shipbuilding town, so we have spent a lot of time wandering through and learning about the buildings, the tasks workers performed, and all that went into building a ship; and let me tell you, there is a lot that goes into building a ship and having is ready for sea.

After the learning, we enjoyed an amazing barbecue dinner at the home of a student. The food was amazing, like all the food thus far on our voyage!

Today, all of the students joined an educator aboard the whale ship, the Charles W. Morgan. There, we were read an excerpt from Chase's narrative of the sinking of the Essex. It was interesting to link what we had read for summer reading to an actual whaling vessel and a first person account of the sinking. We will also be visiting the planetarium to learn about stars before playing all hands Capture the Flag  in the Seaport tonight.

Fair Winds to everyone who has read my report,
-Lilli